Getting together under flight path

The AirFair Organizing Committee is grateful for the support of the

Daily Pilot regarding our mission -- permanent caps on John Wayne

Airport. We would like to respond to the “drawback” mentioned in the

editorial of July 10.

AirFair is, as mentioned, “a grass-roots group” which has garnered

the support of a significant number of homeowners associations,

neighborhoods and the cities of Villa Park and Costa Mesa. Already

representing thousands of residents, we will continue to seek support

from the other cities that lie under the John Wayne Airport flight

path. Residents of these cities are shouldering their fair share of

the region’s air transportation needs.

We would welcome a viable solution to regional air traffic demand

that does not require further expansion of John Wayne Airport. We

feel it is precisely because we are not trying to “solve” the problem

that we continue to attract large numbers of ordinary people to our

cause: people who are fed up with the noise, congestion and pollution

they live with on a daily basis.

People with an issue of concern to them have a way of focusing the

attention of elected officials whose responsibility it is to act on

the problems of their neighborhoods and cities. Local, regional and

national elected officials need to work together to find an

alternative to the dangerously disproportionate impact that further

expansion of John Wayne will have on the residents of Newport Beach,

Costa Mesa and the other corridor cities.

A look at our website -- www.jwairfair.com -- will reveal that we

are continually monitoring events and proposals relating to the

problems created by regional demands for air transport. AirFair

stands ready to contribute to and support all efforts to develop

regional solutions to the impact of increasing air traffic on our

communities.

* MELINDA SEELY is a resident of Newport Beach and the spokeswoman

for AirFair.